Taiwan News Quick Take

Staff writer, with CNA

Wed, Oct 09, 2013 - Page 5

TOURISM

Expo to benefit Yunlin

The Yunlin Agriculture Expo is expected to inject more than NT$2.3 billion (US$78.4 million) into Yunlin County’s economy during its Dec. 25 to March 6 run, a county official said on Monday. The event is forecast to generate net economic benefits of NT$1.876 billion once construction and other costs are deducted, said Chen Tung-sung (陳東松), head of the county’s Planning Department. Chen said he expected the planned expo to be the most effective investment the county government has ever made because the money injected into the local economy as a result of the expo could be up to four times the total investment in the project. The estimates were based on a 2011 Tourism Bureau survey on domestic travel habits, value-added tables for different sub-sectors from the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics and an estimate that the expo is likely to attract at least 500,000 visitors, Chen said.

TRAVEL

Visa-free destination added

Taiwanese now enjoy visa-free treatment from 134 countries and territories following an announcement by Montserrat, a British overseas territory in the Caribbean, that it has extended visa-free privileges to Taiwanese, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Monday. Montserrat authorities recently decided to grant visa-free treatment to Republic of China (ROC) passport holders, the ministry said in a statement. Under the program, Taiwanese are allowed to stay in Montserrat for up to six months without a visa, it added. Montserrat is the eighth British overseas territory to grant visa-free entry to ROC passport holders, according to the ministry. With an area of 102km2, Montserrat has a population of about 5,000.